The Kwara State Government on Friday in Ilorin inaugurated the Maternal, Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response committee to tackle the high cases of maternal and child mortality.
The wife of the state governor, Dr. Olufolake Abdulrazak, inaugurated the committee at the Stakeholders Meeting on ending preventable deaths of mothers and newborns in the state.
Mrs. Abdulrazak said that the maiden meeting was coming at a very important time when the present administration was leaving no stone untouched to ensure all citizens access to quality and affordable healthcare services.
The governor’s wife, who stressed the need for ending preventable death of mothers and newborns, added that this would be achievable with strong political will.
“It is worthy of note that Nigeria has one of the highest maternal and newborn mortality (death) rates in the world, with over 40,000 maternal deaths occurring yearly.
“The lifetime risk of dying in pregnancy and childbirth of one in every 22 women is higher than almost anywhere else in Africa or indeed the world.
“Despite Nigeria’s level of economic development, the country has not recorded a commensurate rapid progress in saving the lives of women and newborns from preventable deaths during pregnancy and delivery,” she said.
According to her, the status quo must be changed as Nigeria has the strong political will, sound strategies and policy in place to change the narrative and put an end to preventable deaths of mothers and newborns.
She explained that the MPDSR review process was designed to create a safe environment for all relevant parties including the family, community, members and leaders, health authorities and health workers.
Mrs Abdulrazak said that revitalising and institutionalising the MPDSR process in all the 16 LGAs in Kwara was an essential part of building consistency, strengthening positive reinforcement and spreading the idea that maternal and newborn death is almost always preventable.
Earlier in his remark, Dr Raji Razaq, the state Commissioner for Health, underscored the need to collectively work to reduce the burden of high maternal and child death in the state.
According to him, some of the preventable cases of maternal deaths include haemorrhage, sepsis, hypertensive disorders and complication from pre-term births.
“The MPDSR in Nigeria is a form of continuous surveillance that links the health information system and quality improvement processes from local to national levels.
“This includes routine identification, notification, quantification and determination of causes and avoidability of all maternal and perinatal deaths as well as the use of this information to respond with actions that will prevent future deaths,” he said.
Earlier, Dr. Oluwatosin Fakayode, the state Director, Public Health, Ministry of Health, said that in Nigeria pregnancy can become a source of tragedy for the family and society, adding that this is however preventable.
According to him, there is a need for all stakeholders, including traditional leaders, medical experts, civil societies, and religious bodies, to prevent maternal and child deaths in the state.
Fakayode urged husbands at the family level to take care of pregnant mothers in terms of diets, immunisation and hygiene, among others.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that members of the committee included Dr. Idowu Ogunlaja as Chairman, Dr. Kofo Ibrahim as the Secretary, and Dr. Michael Oguntoye, Director of Primary Health Care, among others.
(NAN)
